Five books to manage work place challenge

It does not get any more difficult in life if you have a bad boss. If a home is in shambles then there is double trouble. A difficult work environment affects productivity and if it can affect your health. If you can never do right by your boss then there is a problem.  Often you […]

It does not get any more difficult in life if you have a bad boss. If a home is in shambles then there is double trouble. A difficult work environment affects productivity and if it can affect your health. If you can never do right by your boss then there is a problem.  Often you believe it is going to go away if you ignore but trust me, the office bully, whether it is your boss, your colleague or your subordinate never really goes anywhere. Their types gather round and consolidate their evil plans. Do you have a boss who by virtue of being your boss is a nasty piece of work? Do you have a subordinate who is always willy-nilly  and conniving? Do you have team members who you cannot trust or colleagues who smile upfront but are a bunch of slimy no goods behind your back? Is your efficiency a challenge in your work place? Do you have subordinates with poor work ethics and persons with low productivity? Do you worry about team members who expect you to do all the work while lounging on the chair? Are you concerned about all those who are constantly agreeing with you after you did all the work while they were sleeping the night before? Do you feel like punching those whose only interest is where to find the money, not where to find the work? If the answer to most of these questions is yes, then this week’s column is for you.  Here then is a collection for managing work place challenges:

1. It’s your ship: Management techniques from the best damn ship in the navy, by Captain Michael Abrashoff. This is a book everyone must read if you are in a leadership position. Pretty much like taking over a ship with a problem crew. As a leader, you do not only have to take responsibility of improving your team performance but you must improve your own leadership skills in order to turn your team around. Reading this book inspires you to see your work group through the eyes of your employees.

2. Beating the work place bully a tactical guide to taking charge. This book gives readers a practical empowering self-training manual on how to turn the tables on bullies and avoid bully traps. Anyone who has ever been under the terrible regime of bullies should understand how they operate. I understand it because I have experience. You are blamed for the birds that fly, a fly in the room, a broken chair, a sick staff, everything you know nothing about. Bullies are amazingly self-entitled. They think they can molest you until you push them to a corner, burst their balloon and dare them, in an intelligent well organised way. This book by Lynne Curry is excellent. Readers will love the real life examples.

3. Coping with toxic managers, subordinates and other difficult people, using emotional intelligence to survive and prosper by Roy Lubit (Phd). This is the go-to manual for understanding rigid, narcissistic, unethical, burnt out and aggressive managers, peers and subordinates. This book will help anyone dealing with difficult people in the work place. Lubit teaches you how to recognise each problem type in your office and develop your emotional intelligence to protect yourself and your organisation from the destructive impact of toxic managers.

4. The book of re-awakening; Having the life you want by being present to the life you have by Mark Nepo. Nepo, a philosopher, poet and cancer survivor leads you on a journey into self reflection and centering yourself, needed if you want to stay grounded, despite workplace challenges. There is a separate essay for each day of the year. A week’s worth of essays always inspires.

5. Crossing the unknown sea; Work as a pilgrimage of identity by David Whyte. This is a book written by a Poet. It challenges you to self reflect and take risks at work that can enhance your profession. This book is written poetically and describes the human approach to work as “a sky full of light and day, with all the varied weathers of an individual life blowing through it”. It teaches that work-life is an adventure.

Bonus book

1.     Any inspirational book to strengthen you. Please make sure its not a cheesy book because there are so many cheesy ones around.

2.     Any faith based book because you need God to save you from monsters in the office and he usually always does.

3.     Any book on team building. As a leader or follower, you need to have the knowledge of how teams work.

4.     Any book on how to deal with lazy, in-efficient co-workers. If you are efficient, you are simply impatient with those who choose to be laissez-faire.